A Hokage is Born
by Crimson Sakura Princess
Summary: A legend was mourned that day. A deity that came only once in a lifetime. One does not simply become Hokage. To become Hokage means to have lived through many struggles, and learned from them. Does that also include hardships at birth?


**Disclaimer: What? Naruto is copyrighted? Huh? I can't own it? Well...shit. I guess my hands are tied on this one. Apparently, I don't own Naruto. **

**A/N: **What's up everyone?! I've tried my best to be active. But as I get older, I find my life gets more hectic. Ah, the thrills of adulthood. Well, i'm in a good mood today. I have actually had this hidden little treasure on my computer for the past year but never got around to finishing it. I had the bulk of it done, but I didn't feel it was ready for publishing. But as of late, I found some new interest in this and thought to myself, _"How great would be to add another treasure to my Jir/Tsu world of ficlets?!"_ And now here we are! I love this story so much, this is my pride and joy. You know it's a good story when the author sheds a tear and shares a laugh. That's the making of a good story in my book, lol. Enough of my jabbering, I know how excited everyone is to read a new original from none other than the prestigious Crimson Sakura Princess! Happy reading, loves!

* * *

Tsunade couldn't believe it.

Having this child was just a blessing on its own, but to know that in only a mere few hours she would be holding her baby. It was simply incredible. The contractions were hell and everyone knew that, even the father of their soon-to-be-born child. Gods, you'd think **he **was the one about to give birth with all his worrying about. It was actually kinda cute in which Tsunade didn't mind at all.

But the contractions were getting stronger and shorter by the minute and by heavens was this baby a fighter.

_Just like his father._

She smiled at that thought before having her entire façade ruined by the onslaught of pain in her pregnant belly. Her face scrunched up in an irritable scowl, tried her best not to scold the father to her child nor yell at how annoying he was gradually becoming.

Grrr, it was all this bastards fault. Knocking her up when he damn well knew she skipped her birth control that night by accident. She even told him to use protection, but all the cocky son of a bitch could say was, "And what are the chances?" Well, let's just say _the chances_ were staring him right in the face in the form of a very pregnant Tsunade.

"Jiraiya...they're like five minutes apart. We have to go to the hospital."

The young couple was clearly unexperienced in the situation, even the toad sage surprisingly considering the fact that besides this child he knew he had to have fathered at least five children by now. Only problem was that he had no clue as to where they were located or exactly who the women he slept with were. The number would triple as he got older and Jiraiya would really consider taking up traveling in a few years for one obvious reason to another. That way for sure no woman could ever pin him down with a child, except Tsunade that was.

But for now he would be right here with this pretty blonde and her whimpered cries of a passing contraction. He was busy retrieving the baby bag, stocked with all the essentials for their new arrival. This was going to be Jiraiya's first child- the first one he would actually sign a birth certificate for and take care of that was. The woman who would one day become Hokage was just incredible and he loved everything about her. He had always said to himself that if he were to ever have a child, by gods he only wanted to have it with her.

Unfortunately, she hadn't softened up to his woos early enough so that was when he sought out other females. But once he finally got to Tsunade and she willingly agreed to sleep with him, he swore he never wanted to seek out anything else. Because it was all right before him in the form of celestial beauty and wonderfully phenomenal eyes that he just wanted to stare into until he couldn't stare any longer.

Who knew that all it took to make a lecherous pervert like him to finally fall in love were a pair of lovely caramels and a pair of patent black stilettos with spaghetti straps? It would make any sane man fall victim to that woman when the stilettos were **all** that she wore to bed.

"Jiraiya?! What's taking so long?!"

He shook his head. He must have lost track of his mind, quickly opened up the yellow bag to stuff a few extra items in there. Jiraiya had looked in here about a million times with Tsunade getting it ready for this very day, but now that he was looking in there, he was beginning to feel a bit nervous. Anxious hands placed inside the bag a light jacket for Tsunade as well as a list of baby names that took them nearly her first two trimesters to come up with. They had specifically told their obstetrician that they wanted the sex of the baby to be unknown, so Tsunade was praying with all her might that it would be a girl.

Jiraiya knew for a fact that if it wasn't a girl, the woman would really be hurt. But he had tried reassuring her that even if it wasn't a girl, that the little boy would always remind her of him. He recalled clearly how she questioned his thought process and exactly what the hell he meant by what he just said.

_"What the fuck do you mean __**our**__ son will __**remind **__me of __**you**__? Are you going anywhere? Do I need to know anything, Mr. Fucks-a-lot?"_

_Her hormones were a raging hot mess and Jiraiya was convinced for sure that if he pissed her off any further that both of them would end up in the hospital. Tsunade for pre-mature labor and Jiraiya for a major concussion._

_"No, hime. Don't go to conclusions so quickly. I mean it like a long-term kinda thing. Whenever i'm not around, you won't have to miss me as much."_

_"Oh, you bet your ass I won't miss you. Whenever you're not around? Listen, I told you that if i'm keeping this baby that we both have to commit to one another."_

_"And I am committed to you, doll."_

_Tsunade shook her head in disappointment, tears forming in her eyes. "Look, i'm sacrificing everything here. My career, my life...and it's all for you and your child. Why can't we ever meet half way, Jiraiya? What am I to you?"_

_Jiraiya couldn't believe the mess he got himself into. He was head over heels for the hormonal, vicious yet simply adorable blonde haired kunoichi who was questioning their relationship for the umpteenth time this month. Normally, he would have verbally retaliated the woman for her insolence, her doubt towards their love. But he just couldn't do it. She was standing right before him with a hand ontop of her pregnant stomach. Tsunade was five months along._

_"You woman...are everything. I have admired you from near and afar, and now I finally have you as my own. You come first in every single thing I do."_

_He reached out to her, his arms enwrapped around her pregnant form. Jiraiya pulled her as closely as he could against him, felt a sense of pride and something else he couldn't describe from feeling her protruding belly come between their embrace. In some kind of way, he felt as though he were embracing them both. Jiraiya smiled, Tsunade laying her head across his chest._

_"No matter what happens, I will always love you. For the baby and you...I promise to meet you halfway."_

Jiraiya rushed back to the living room of the apartment to an agitated blonde on the couch. She was all ready, beautiful with her long ponytailed hair and maternity kimono that showed her prominent stomach. He then blinked when he saw her belly, could have sworn he saw the baby move inside of her.

"Did you get the list in there?," she asked anxiously as he strode over to her.

He held onto her outstretched hand and effortlessly helped her up from the couch, slinging the bag over his shoulder. "Yeah, I also packed you a jacket."

"Okay," she said faintly as she felt another contraction rippling through her stomach.

Grabbing the keys to the apartment off the coffee table, Jiraiya made haste to walk them towards the door but it was hard considering every step she took only intensified her contractions. From where his apartment was located, the hospital was a five minute walk. There was no way in hell the woman who was going through labor was going to make it there. And the journey would only prove to become harder when the unexpected happened to the blonde haired woman.

Everywhere in every direction, a clear fluid gushed out from beneath her kimono. It poured down her legs and pooled beneath her in a large puddle that created pure havoc.

"WHAT THE HELL!"

"Tsunade, calm down. It was just your water, it must have broken early."

An unexlplainable, granderous amount of tears had then fell from her eyes, lips wobbling uncontrollably as the father to her soon-to-be-born baby made haste to gather her up into his arms bridal style. She thought the man was absolutely mad, but then she remembered that they had no time to waste and that the quicker they made it to the hospital, the less likely of a chance there would be that she would be delivering right on his living room floor.

"I'll take care of you. Don't fret, doll..."

Tsunade decided to trust in him just this once and hoped that all would go better for them once they reach the hospital. Because hell, they already hit the bottom. There was no place else to go. But up.

* * *

The baby was named Minato Namikaze. Tsunade had thought about giving the baby the last name of her grandmother, Mito Uzumaki. Jiraiya of course was extremely joyous about the last name arrangement, seeing as they both decided on giving the baby his last name weeks before their first ultrasound. She even gave him permission to give the baby a first name.

Minato was the name of Jiraiya's father, the father whom he never knew. He hoped one day when their son would have a son of his own, he would be there for him. And Jiraiya would begin the cycle by being there for his own son. They both decided to keep their little bundle of joy, even though abortion was usually the primary option for pregnant kunoichi's. Especially a pregnant Sannin. The third option was unfortunately adoption, but Tsunade just couldn't go through with it.

_Jiraiya said he will be there for our son and that he will help me. I just hope he doesn't revert back to his old ways. He's the only reason why i'm keeping this baby._

The newborn bundle was just about the most cutest thing eyes have ever witnessed. Tsunade, whose beauty was as gorgeous as sin and Jiraiya, the most handsome and eligible man in the entire village created a squirming tiny baby boy who would no doubt become a heart throb when he became older. He had Tsunade's delicate golden hair, like silk on his small head. He had yet to open his eyes, for all he did since he was born was cry and sleep. She hoped they would be her eyes behind those little eyelids and so did Jiraiya.

Tsunade's labor had developed quickly as soon as they arrived at the hospital, their obstetrician instructed that she was too far dilated to take an epidural as she endured excruciating labor pains for nearly an hour. When it was time to push, Jiraiya wanted nothing more than to leave the room. Tsunade's hormones combined with her labor pains had created a living ruthless demoness of a woman whom he couldn't recognize if he tried.

She instructed him many times to leave before she crushed his ribs, skull and whatever else housed his vital organs. But he refused, decided that getting death threats from a laboring woman was better than actually getting his ass kicked. He stayed with her and held the hand that she insisted he shouldn't hold onto. But after an hour of progressive attempts of pushing, her defenses gradually fell and with one last, weak push, out came their wailing bundle of joy.

After he cut the umbilical cord, both new parents watched in dismay yet utter relief as the nurses flocked to take the baby to record his weight, height, and time of birth while at the same time cleansing any uterine residue that remained. They returned the baby several minutes later, swaddled tightly in a blue blanket and matching tiny blue cap. The nurse then lowered him into Tsunade's outstretched arms.

He was as light as air. As beautiful as anything in this known world.

Jiraiya couldn't contain his emotions as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, tears falling freely from his eyes. Both of them gazed down at the quieted newborn and it was then that they both finally spoke to eachother calmly for the first time since early today.

_"He's beautiful..."_

_"Yes. He is."_

_"I'm a father now..."_

_"Mhm."_

He kissed the top of her damp, blonde haired head. All the love in this known world meant nothing if she wasn't there with him. Now they had a child. They had no choice but to stay together. He wanted to marry her, but felt that she would think he was doing so only because she mourned him a son.

It was their second day in the hospital and so far they both learned what kind of pacifiers to use for their baby, how to breastfeed and most importantly, how to settle the baby inside the crib whenever it wanted to sleep. They felt they were ready to go home but the nurse that was taking care of them thought different.

She had long, curly black hair and her eyes were distant as she gazed upon the newborn child in the arms of Konoha's princess.

"Miss Senju. Minato has to be taken to the NICU," she started, though the entire time she had her eyes on the young toad sage.

"What? Why? What's wrong my baby?," Tsunade shouted defensively, held the swaddled baby closer to her bosom.

Jiraiya wasn't liking the sound of the nurse, was about to protest himself when she suddenly spoke the words every new parent never wanted to hear.

"The test results are back and there are indications of complications with his breathing. We believe there might be some amniotic fluid that managed to seep in there, but we have to take him immediately or else it could get worse."

Tsunade looked as if she was about to cry, but simply looked towards Jiraiya who was sitting next to her bedside. He was fully alert and concerned, met her amber pools of sorrow in a nonconsentual stare.

"Jiraiya..."

He gazed at her glassy eyes for a moment more before sighing heavily. His son appeared a little different than he recalled yesterday now that he realized it. He could hear the slight difficulty in the infant's breathing, the way his crying sounded. His skin was also paler and he wouldn't even latch on to his mother's breast anymore to feed.

"Do whatever you have to. Just as long as he's okay."

"Hai. Of course. I assure you he's in good hands."

Reluctantly, the blonde carefully handed over the light, sleeping bundle to the nurse and watched mournfully as she walked out of the room. It became deafly quiet and she couldn't quite adjust to the sudden silence that weighed down on her ears. She missed her baby already.

"Jiraiya."

"Yeah?"

"I miss him."

He chuckled gently at her statement, mellow and full of sorrow he tried his hardest to keep inside of his heart.

"Hime, he's been gone for ten seconds. He'll be fine."

"Really?," she asked herself more than she did to him.

Jiraiya stood then leaned towards her head, kissed her hair softly. When she looked up all she saw was dark eyes full of tender care, mirth and reassurance. Never had she gazed into such heart warming eyes.

"I **know** he'll be fine."

She smiled. The sun could never outbeat the glow of this ethereal beauty.

"Okay. I trust you."

He then kissed her and it felt as if the world and all its matters disappeared. All that mattered was this gorgeous woman and his newborn son.

"Later on, if no one updates us, we'll go down to the NICU and check on him okay?"

Tsunade nodded and received another kiss from the father of her son. Just then, the door to their room opened and there appeared Orochimaru. Jiraiya had no clue as to how his teammate found out their female teammate went into labour, but he had to guess that there had to have been gossip going around with the nurses. It must have reached the village, otherwise there was no reason as to why the snake Sannin would be here.

"Orochimaru?," Tsunade whispered after tearing away from her kiss.

Jiraiya could see that the stoic guy actually went out of his way and brought them some gifts. There were balloons and a small gift bag, the colour of light blue. The kunoichi's eyes lit up at the gifts, but all Jiraiya could do was simply sigh. Orochimaru had been trying rather diligently lately to get the attention of their blonde haired teammate.

_He wouldn't care if she and I got married. How much further do I have to prove to him that she's my woman? For goodness sakes, she just had my son._

"Your due date wasn't for a couple of days now. Why have you gone into labour so early?"

She shrugged, a small smile on her face as she saw the tall Sannin move in towards her bed.

"Well, the baby was just eager. He's had enough in my belly. I'd wanna come out early too if I had to be confined without any space whatsoever for almost nine months."

Orochimaru set down the balloons and handed her the gift bag. Jiraiya saw the snake about to give the kunoichi a kiss on her cheek when he interrupted him.

"I wouldn't do that," he warned.

The pale skinned man gave a prominent scowl at the toad sage but obeyed. He looked down at the blonde haired woman, observed her post maternal features. She still glowed as though her child was still inside her womb and her eyes shone as bright as the stars at twilight.

Just then, Orochimaru noticed one missing component to the picture of the shinobi family. One very **important** component.

Almost immediately, he asked with slight worry, "Where's the baby?"

"In the NICU. The nurse thinks the whelp has fluid in his lungs," Jiraiya replied for the tired blonde, his path of vision focused on the floor beneath his feet.

"Shame."

Tsunade wanted to forget about all of this and what better way to rid her mind of unwanted thoughts than with some ice cream? It was bad enough they practically _confiscated_ her baby, but now the father of her child and her childhood teammate were making it blatant that they were just itching to fight eachother.

"Jiraiya, hun. I'm going to go ask a nurse and see if they can get me some ice cream-"

"-That won't be necessary. I'll do it for you," Orochimaru offered.

Jiraiya growled. "What will be necessary is my foot up your ass." He sighed heavily, his dark eyes falling on the frowning woman.

"I'll get it for you, hime."

And with those words, the toad sage slowly stood to his feet and walked over to the hospital bed where he gave the resting kunoichi a gentle kiss on her flushed lips. She smiled at his affection and nodded.

"Okay. Tell them I want-"

"Vanilla. Yes, I know exactly what you like, Tsunade."

She giggled lightly, watched him leave the room until it was only herself and Orochimaru left in the room. The snake Sannin had a frown about his face and she knew that something had to have been wrong. He wasn't here just to congratulate her on her newborn baby.

"What's wrong?"

"...He's cheating."

Tsunade bugged her eyes out of her sockets, mouth slightly ajar. He wasn't one to lie and whenever he said something, it just had to be true. Even when she knew he fought secretly for her affections from the toad sage, this wasn't about sabotage.

"What?," she said a bit too loudly than desired.

Orochimaru sighed gently, closed his eyes.

"He's seeing one of the nurses. The one with long black hair."

The young kunoichi became horrified and afraid and enraged all at the same time. If that was the case then why in the hell would the cheating son of a bitch allow the woman to carry her baby away, supposedly on the notion that something was wrong with him?

"This is...no. He won't...I don't care about him anymore. I just want my baby."

Tsunade made to get up, ignored the dull pain between her thighs from having delivered her baby only two days ago. There was also a pain in her chest and in her heart. The pain of having been betrayed by the man who she thought she could trust. The _womanizing_ man she thought she could trust.

"That bastard...oww..."

Orochimaru hurried to her side of the bed, wrapped an arm around her back and held onto her hand.

"Be careful," he whispered.

She nodded as he helped her to her feet, the woman not prepared for standing just yet; having been confined to her bed. Without warning, she collided gently into his chest and that prompted her to gasp in surprise. She looked up at his face and all she saw were concerned golden irises. And soft lips that she always wondered what they felt like.

"You just had a baby, most likely as beautiful as yourself."

Tsunade found herself blushing at the comment, looked away from his staring eyes.

"Arigatou..."

"...Hai. Now. Should we find him?

She nodded then allowed him to hold her hand to help her walk towards the door and out of the room. The truth would be unfolded today. Not even five minutes after finding out about his cheating and already she had a plan. Two of them. Abandon him. Or abandon him and the baby.

She didn't want to have any reminder of who he was.

All he had to do was prove that he wasn't who she thought he was and who Orochimaru _knew_ he was.

* * *

"So how's my son? You think he's going to be okay?"

"This is common with younger mothers. But I assure you, he'll be okay."

Jiraiya watched the nurse handle the newborn to another nurse waiting to whisk him away to an incubator, sadness harbored in his heart to hear the helpless baby crying. He was then left alone with the nurse who was busy jotting down things on a clipboard. And that was when he noticed something familiar about the woman.

"Hey."

"Hmm?"

She looked up and that was when everything began to hit Jiraiya like a brick to his skull. Those sultry, crimson eyes, those cascading black locks and painted lips. Her eyes looked similar to rare rubies; he remembered the way they shone mischievously at him in the ambiance of the crowded bar. By damn, Jiraiya was face to face with his one night stand.

Before he knocked up Tsunade of course.

"You look familiar. Have we met before?"

The woman then smiled and he was remembered with exactly how her lips felt against his own lips and against his neck. She probably knew who he was the entire time. But he wouldn't probe any further into it. For the sake of maintaining his family and the new addition to it.

"...Why yes. I remember you."

She then turned fully around to face him, flipped her hair. "Jiraiya?"

"Anemone."

"You never told me you were going to be a father..."

Jiraiya laughed nervously. "Well, my son was conceived after I met you."

"The mother...she's beautiful. But I thought you said you liked brunettes? Blondes are your fancy now?"

"I can't lie and say I don't like brunettes. But that woman who gave birth to my son means everything to me. I wouldn't care if she had red hair or even brown hair. I've known her since I was old enough to understand what love was."

Anemone smiled wider. He forgot how hypnotizing her eyes were when she was smiling.

"Aww, how sweet. Well, I guess there won't be any more chances for us then."

Jiraiya shrugged. "Well, not exactly. I mean, she and I aren't married yet."

The black haired woman smiled a mischievous grin that Jiraiya remembered she gave to him that night after the bar. At her apartment in the dark, she was like a phantomess preying upon an ever watchful tiger- success her inevitable goal. She was one of the few women who could actually dominate a man like him and get away with it. Unseen or unheard from.

Hell, it's been months since he's even seen her.

"Hmm, well how about we meet up soon. I mean...if you aren't busy or anything."

"I'll think about it."

Anemone let out a rolling giggle which in turn caused Jiraiya to involuntarily smile.

"Come now, don't think. Just do whatever feels best..."

She leaned in towards him, Jiraiya not even knowing how to ignore the fact that she wanted exactly what he wanted. He knew it was wrong, but when was it every day that a woman found him attractive as a father? A new father and he hasn't even taken home his baby yet. There weren't many chances for him to find a woman now that he decided to become a committed father. But a committed father to his son and lover to the mother of his son? They were both young and he felt that whatever she didn't know, wouldn't hurt her.

At least that's what he made himself believe.

Tsunade would always be the love of his life, but as a young man, he also believed in living in the moment. This moment with this dark haired woman wasn't about being a father or committed to the amber eyed kunoichi who birthed a child merely a few days ago.

The two met in a kiss that matured too quickly for words and in the midst of them groping one another, that was when an unexpected turn of events happened that Jiraiya prayed wouldn't happen; shouldn't happen and what he thought couldn't happen.

* * *

Orochimaru didn't know if he could hold onto his blonde haired teammate any further. He didn't so much as blink when they both walked in on Jiraiya kissing another woman, the same woman who happened to be the nurse who carried away Tsunade's baby. And as soon as he decided to blink, the buxom woman's reflexes went into overdrive as she charged head on for the cheating toad sage.

Luckily, Orochimaru's reflexes were just as fast and before she could deliver a blow that would certainly knock Jiraiya out, he caught onto her arm and attempted to haul her away. Both Jiraiya and Anemone were both frightened to say the least at the blonde's erratic behaviour, stunned that she would have even thought to follow them to the NICU.

"YOU BASTARD! HOW DARE YOU DO THIS TO ME?!"

"Tsunade...it's not what you think-"

"NOT WHAT I THINK? YOU WERE SHARING HER FUCKING SALIVA, YOU GODDAMN LECHOR!"

Anemone made to leave in the other direction, only to least expect that Tsunade would actually escape Orochimaru's attempts to hold her back. The amber eyed woman let out a shriek of pure enragement and once the dark haired nurse turned around to see what had happened, Tsunade had swiftly grabbed her by her hair and ultimately smacked her across her face. The impact made her fly back against the wall, the nurse unconscious as Tsunade was suddenly captured by another set of arms. This time, they belonged to the one man she never wanted to touch, see, or hear again.

"That's enough, hime! She's unconscious!," Jiraiya yelled desperately as he held back the violently thrashing woman.

"LET ME GO! STOP!"

Their commotion was loud enough to summon all of the doctors on the NICU floor to see what was happening, the sounds of Tsunade's ear-splitting shrills and screams enough to wake up nearly all of the slumbering infants.

Nurses scrambled to where their unconscious colleague was slumped over, the remaining personnel reaching for every nearest phone for the hospital's security to report immediately.

"They're calling security, Jiraiya. Just let her go," Orochimaru said calmly as he stepped closer to the emotional blonde in his arms.

No sooner did Jiraiya release her that Tsunade went on another rampage and that was to attack the man she thought she could trust; the man she thought she could love without having to worry about infidelities. From his part of course.

"WHAT IN THE HELL WAS I THINKING WHEN I SPREAD MY LEGS FOR YOU! AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, YOU CAN KEEP THE BABY! BECAUSE I'M DONE!"

She gripped her manicured hand, concentrating enough chakra to bring down a full grown elephant and punched him straight in his stomach, another hand quickly following it to slap him clear across his face. The force from her impacts was incredible, Tsunade not surprised when he was reduced to his knees, gingerly clutching at his midsection. She watched with the utmost satisfaction at his condition, didn't pay much attention to Orochimaru who placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You've done enough damage, hime. It's over..."

Tsunade hated the fact that she gave up nine months of her life. To mourn a son to a man who didn't even deserve a child, nonetheless her; her love and her trust. He wasn't even worth apologizing to at this moment. She wasted too much time around this man and words couldn't describe the incredible weight of uncertainty and sadness that was lifted off her shoulders.

_He never loved me...Infedelities are for men who are too afraid to talk to their women. I would have been better off with him letting me go..._

"...Instead...you had to cheat. You worthless bastard..."

Orochimaru watched the heaving woman lean down to the toad sage's face, grabbed it forcefully. He was going to stop her when he saw her hand rise through the air as though to slap him. But then Tsunade placed her hand over his forehead, shook her head with remorseful amber irises.

"I loved you. Wasn't that enough?"

Jiraiya was too hurt and guilty to let even one word escape his mouth. Those were just rhetorical questions she was aiming at him now. They both knew the answer to her questions.

"You son of a bitch," she seethed quietly, tears falling freely from her eyes. "As far as I know...that child in there is no longer mine. I carried him for nine months. But I should have aborted the fucker. It was my mistake in trusting you and I should have listened to myself when I got pregnant. **Before** I got pregnant."

Both male Sannin were in shock of her words, the utter resent and hatred behind every syllable. It was understandable that she felt she made a mistake when choosing Jiraiya to have a baby with, but to even consider abortion out of spite for the cheating toad sage was preposterous. Was Tsunade truly that cold blooded enough to murder an unborn child? Merely because she loathed its father? Her true colours were beginning to show, Jiraiya unsure of whether to argue with her about the issue or continue to clutch at his throbbing abdomen.

"Hime...no. Please, don't say that. My mistakes are something I have to live with forever, but without you I can't live at all. Don't leave."

"You should have thought about that. I'm giving up the baby for adoption."

A blood curdling scream erupted throughout the NICU as Tsunade slapped the man with all the force and all the hatred she could muster up into her dainty hand. Heaving and silently crying, Tsunade didn't fight back when Orochimaru curled his arms underneath her upper arms and around her shoulders, deftly helped her onto her feet. He handled her gently but quickly as he heard a commotion that grew more and more as the moments passed by outside of the doors. It wasn't safe anymore to be here. If security found her, they would surely force her from her hospital stay and could even file charges against her for the battery she committed to a staff member. Even custody of her newborn son.

_But then again, she said she didn't want the whelp. What good would any of __**that**__ do?_

"Orochimaru...please. I have to see my baby."

Her words had utterly shocked him, Orochimaru in a state of flabberghastment as he stared down at her blonde haired head. He must have been too slow to react because she suddenly forced herself from his grasp and fled to where she knew her child was being kept. He didn't follow her. He didn't want to be with her where he knew she would be saying her goodbyes to the newborn infant. An infant who was going to become motherless only two days after being born. It would even be an orphan for a while if Jiraiya didn't want to step up to be a father.

That was when the snake Sannin averted his gaze to the toad sage who was in a state of pure agony, reduced to the floor on his side as he clutched tightly at his abdomen. She must have broken a rib or two by the looks of his pain. How horrible it must have been to get caught in the act of infidelity. The woman had birthed his son recently and not even the joyous occasion of a newborn child could break his terrible habit of cheating.

_It may not look good right now. But she's doing the right thing. She was with a man who cheated unmercifully and even the event of becoming a father couldn't stop him. Tsunade...what will become of all of us now?_

* * *

Minato was a week old now and the crying bundle that belonged to a new family. In the arms of his new mother, he wailed and cried unconditionally. Day and night. But his new parents were understanding and knew how to handle an infant. They had two other kids of their own and at the news of Princess Tsunade's departure of the leaf village, pity quickly overtook them for not only their rouge princess, but her abandoned child. News had subsequently spread that the newborn's father had also fled the village in search for the mother to his son. Or so word had said.

Jiraiya hated to be the one to handle such affairs of giving up his son, but what he didn't do to the new family was lie to them. He told them truthfully that he couldn't raise the child on his own and that he was going to search for Minato's mother in hopes that they could become a family again. But he also told the family that it wouldn't be easy to find her and he would go to any extent to try and locate her. Any and all efforts to find her would be taken by not only him, but by the ANBU who were issued a new order from Sarutobi. She was clearly identified as not being a rogue nin, but was wanted on charges that concerned the assault she committed while at the hospital.

The toad sage vowed to find her one day and when he did find her, he would let her knew clearly that his love for her hadn't changed. It was all his fault, he knew that. Her reaction to his cheating was over the top at best, but not surprising. He remembered the night he gave up his son. Orochimaru had accompanied him. Another surprise. Jiraiya had taken Minato home as soon as he was cleared from his minor ailments to his lungs, but before he left the hospital, asked the personnel kindly if they could find any willing adoptive parents. If any could be found, to have them come immediately to his apartment. Minato had just gotten to sleep after Jiraiya fed him, gave him his first bath and even dressed him in an outfit that Tsunade insisted be her child's first outfit for when he or she went to bed. A simple task that took hours on his part simply because he had not a clue as what to do and on top of that- Minato was a ruthless, crying bundle.

_"You spoiled whelp...Please go to sleep..."_

_Jiraiya was reduced to an exhausted mess as he sat in a rocking chair, all of his attempts to soothe the wailing baby failing horribly. But finally, as if the gods heard his desperate pleas, the infant was gradually quieting down. His father looked down at him in joy, laughed heartily but quickly ceased his laughter for there was extreme pain in his chest and abdomen. The hospital had told him that Tsunade's punch was so powerful, it rearranged a few of his insides and even broke two of his ribs. But it was nothing a skilled medic nin couldn't fix. If not ameturely. Jiraiya knew Tsunade would have been able to heal all of his pain and ailments without much effort._

_Konohagakure had also lost it's best medic kunoichi. Tsunade was the person villagers requested when someone broke their leg or had fallen ill from food poisoning or even real poisoning. She was considered a magical woman who healed almost anything and could never be defeated in battle. A strong woman, a role model to all the young and naive young girls who yearned to look up to someone else other than their mother._

_She was the one he loved unconditionally and missed more than all the pain that was residing inside of his abdomen and chest._

_The blonde haired child was a spitting image of his mother and had Jiraiya confused as to in what ways would his son even look like him. His question was answered. A blessing._

_Minato opened his eyes finally since the day he was born. They were blue. Indigo, the colour of the sea during the middle of a bright, shining day. He was beautiful._

_Jiraiya then smiled and couldn't contain the tears that threatened to escape his obsidian orbs. Blue eyes ran in not Tsunade's family, but Jiraiya's. His mother possessed blue eyes. The most beautiful woman in the world, next to Tsunade, was his late mother. Any rational person would think that a person with blonde hair would possess blue eyes. Not Tsunade. It was an attribute of her beauty that he not only marveled, but to this day and forever more, he cherished._

_After he found himself from his silent tears, Minato had completely fallen asleep. It wasn't until after the new father tucked in his slumbering son into his crib that a knock resonated from the front door. It must have been the adoptive parents. Why did they have to come so late in the evening?_

_It was something Jiraiya requested, but from the bottom of his heart, he didn't want to give up his only son. A frown formed at his mouth when another knock sounded at the door that suggested they weren't going to leave until someone opened the door. What Jiraiya wouldn't do to have Tsunade with him right now. Maybe if she were around, he wouldn't be so frightened of his front door than he was now._

_"Open up, will you, moron?"_

_Orochimaru._

_A sigh of relief that was too confound to have been called surprising had released from his mouth. Why would he be relieved that someone other than a set of adoptive parents were waiting outside of his door? Isn't that what he was expecting since this morning? _

_Jiraiya subsequently let in the snake Sannin, if not a bit reluctantly. All on account that he seemed to be more on Tsunade's side at this point than on his. The man did not have a happy face on, a frown bestowing his pale complexion. Now that Jiraiya thought about it, he never looked pleasant. Except for when he was around their former blonde haired companion._

_"There's word at the hospital that they found a suitable adoptive family to take Minato."_

_"Oh." He didn't know why he wasn't more talkative. This is what he requested after all._

_Orochimaru sighed gently, took a seat at the edge of the nearest sofa. The toad sage sat down across from him, letting out an exhausted groan. He rubbed at the temples on his head, a headache he didn't even know was there was finally exposing itself in the form of thumping pain throughout his cranium._

_"Tired?"_

_"Been trying to get the whelp to stop crying since we got home from the hospital."_

_"You know, I hope you packed his things. Once adoptive families are selected, the newborns are taken away as soon as possible."_

_Jiraiya didn't want to hear any of it. All he wanted was some pain killers and a glass of sake. They also wanted ice water in hell, but would they ever be getting that?_

_"Yeah, I already did. Tsunade and I were planning on shopping more for the baby once it arrived. We didn't know what we were having. So we basically got some unisex things."_

_The dark haired man frowned at the mentioning of her name. The three syllables was a name he thought he would always let pass through his lips with pride and kindness. To Orochimaru, Jiraiya's whole taking on the situation was obvious that this wasn't what he was expecting._

_"I am leaving in a few days."_

_"Oh?"_

_Dammit, why wasn't he the avid busy body he used to be? But at this point, Jiraiya wasn't in any mood to ask questions nor even care as to why his other comrade was leaving the village as well._

_"My Gennin have already graduated. It's time for me to move on."_

_"I see. Well, you do what you have to do."_

_Orochimaru nodded, gazed almost warily at the unusually quiet toad sage. He seemed really gloomy, no words were needed as to why he would be feeling that way. It was all in his face. His weary unkempt face. Even his eyes held the small indication of crying. Never had Orochimaru seem his comrade this distraught. Over Tsunade._

_His shattered future._

_"What will you do?," the snake Sannin finally asked after an uncomfortable few moments._

_Jiraiya shrugged. "I don't know..."_

_The silence had become nearly unbearable, not even the baby was making a sound. From Orochimaru's place on the sofa, he could see past the nearest hallway into an ajar door that was presumably the baby's room. There was the yellow baby bag he remembered they brung to the hospital sitting by the door along with a few other totes filled to the brim with clothes and necessities._

_'He was really going to settle down...It makes you almost feel sorry for the guy. Especially a womanizer like him.'_

_"...Tsunade."_

_Jiraiya's ears perked up at the sound of her name, lifted his sullen gaze to see the prominent frown on his comrade's face. Just what was going through his mind?_

_"Huh?"_

_"She...she..." _

_Orochimaru had to carefully pick his words, lest he wanted to cause an argument. He knew what he was about to say wasn't easy. But he felt that Jiraiya had to hear it._

_"She told me not to tell you."_

_Jiraiya hadn't realized that he was on the edge of his seat, expectant eyes almost begging Orochimaru for him to spill whatever it was that he knew. She was a woman of many secrets and she probably confided in the snake Sannin multiple times before this. But for Orochimaru to reveal a secret from her was not just something someone took lightly._

_With a sigh, a pair of snake-light golden eyes stared straight at him. Almost reluctantly._

_"...She said she would return again. But it can't be the ANBU, it can't be Sarutobi-sensei and it can't be me who finds her...She wants __**you**__ to find her."_

_And with that small yet vital piece of information, Jiraiya leaned back in a defeated slump with an even larger frown upon his face._

_"Clever lass," he remarked beneath his breath. "...She is the most impossible person to track. I won't even know where to start. She didn't disclose where she was heading, did she?"_

_Orochimaru shook his head. "No. She may have confided in me in the past, but she's no idiot. She knows that even __**I **__am capable of disclosing information."_

_Sullen and utterly heartbroken, the toad sage took the next few moments to wallow silently with his head in his palms. When Orochimaru could no longer take the pitiful sight, he suddenly found some interest in his comrade's child._

_"The baby. Minato, he is asleep?"_

_Jiraiya nodded, as quiet as a pin drop._

_"...Do you mind if I see him? If I recall, I haven't even the chance to see the newborn."_

_Without a word, Jiraiya quickly composed himself as he wiped at his wet eyes with the back of his hand. Abruptly, he stood up and instructed the pale-skinned man to follow him._

_It was when they both stepped into the room that Orochimaru thought he couldn't have felt any worse for his distraught comrade. The room was a safe haven for a precious newborn child, all set with a brand new crib, changing table. It wasn't painted yet, but then he quickly recalled Jiraiya saying they wanted to wait until the baby was born to know the sex._

_'It's almost unfair to him. They didn't plan the baby, but they seemed to be really adamant on keeping it. Tsunade. You really didn't have to give up this kid.'_

_Orochimaru saw the child's mobile hanging above his crib before even laying eyes on him. He noticed the adorable craftsmanship of the miniature shinobi along with an assortment of kunai and shuriken that aligned itself in a circular pattern above where the baby slept. In the very centre of the piece was not the sun nor the moon- but the Konohagakure symbol itself hanging proudly._

_"Tsunade's doing I presume?," Orochimaru said, trying half-heartedly to lighten the mood._

_Jiraiya didn't know what he was referring to at first, but when he did he allowed a quick smile to flit across his worn features._

_"Hai. Her lineage practically demanded for it. Our son was going to be a future Hokage, like her grandfather and great uncle."_

_"...Jiraiya. He may very well belong to another family soon, but that doesn't mean he has any less of a chance of becoming Hokage. Have some faith in the whelp."_

_The toad sage chose to ignore him and instead, focused his saddened eyes on the slumbering newborn. He was so tiny and so cute and just so damn precious. Jiraiya never felt this kind of love for anyone other than Tsunade. It had him feeling like an utter fool to displace her trust in him, for even a second. He chose to spend a mere handful of seconds in the arms of a trampy nurse over a lifetime of devotion and compassion with the woman he so desperately loved._

_She was completely right in the words she said to him earlier at the hospital._

_'Her love __**was**__ enough. Hell, it was more than enough. And now I went and fucked it all up. Threw it all away. I'm even losing my own son...'_

_"He's beautiful."_

_Orochimaru's proclamation broke him from his reverie, jolted his head up to see the snake Sannin admiring the small baby affectionately. Wow. Minato sure did have an effect on everyone- even Orochimaru. The coldest shinobi Jiraiya ever knew._

_"Thanks. Takes after the lass herself."_

_"You too, moron. Look at him."_

_His harsh words would have usually called for a vicious rebuking on Jiraiya's part, but at the moment he knew that Orochimaru was merely telling the truth. Yes, the child may not have taken after him from a normal person's perspective. But if you looked closely, you could tell that the small spikes in his hair were from his genes. His face practically screamed a future Jiraiya, even the shape of his eyes and nose looked like his._

_"He's tiny. Came out five pounds, seven ounces. I doubt he'll grow up to be as masculine as me," Jiraiya remarked softly._

_"Maybe. But he's yours." Orochimaru took the moment to lift his eyes from Minato to stare right at his façade striken comrade. "He'll always be yours, Jiraiya."_

_It was another silent moment that overtook them, Jiraiya absorbing his teammate's unusually caring words as the both of them gazed in wonder at the sleeping infant. And then suddenly the resonating sound of a doorbell halted both trains of thought. Jiraiya would have never imagined in a million years that he would be afraid of his front door._

_"Shall I?...," Orochimaru began when he saw that his former teammate wasn't making a move._

_"No. No, that's fine. Can you get me his stroller?" His words came out choked, struggling to free themselves from his tightened throat._

_With a silent nod the golden-eyed man trekked back into the living room where he remembered seeing the newborn's stroller. The doorbell rang again and as tempted as he was to open the door, hell it was considered rude even for him, he refrained on account of Jiraiya's firm admonishing._

_When he returned to the room, he was faced with a sight that was even more upsetting than the scene that happened in the hospital. In the soft glow of opaque moonlight stood the grief-stricken father cradling his sleeping son, rocking gently from side to side. Such an ethereal scene he was witnessing, Orochimaru felt so deeply that it was almost as though he were intruding. Setting eyes upon something that no person should ever have to see._

_A father giving up his only son._

_"...Please know that I love you, son. I always will. Your mother and I love you so much..."_

_Jiraiya proceeded to bring the newborn closer to his chest, blessed a farewell kiss to his baby soft blonde hair. He knew his comrade was in the room, beckoned quietly for him to bring the stroller into the room. After the heart-wrenching task of settling the slumbering baby inside, Jiraiya made sure to tuck him in with a blanket._

_The doorbell rang for a third time, signaling the end of Jiraiya's sorrow filled farewells. He didn't want to. It was killing him deep inside, a dam that was filled to capacity just waiting to burst behind his obsidian eyes._

_"Jiraiya. It's time. He has to go."_

_"I know...and soon, so will I..."_

* * *

A Hokage had been born that fateful day. A Hokage had fled the village that day too. A broken man had wallowed in his despairs that day also.

Jiraiya never expected to lose the amber eyed woman. He never expected to give up his only son. He never expected to have gone years before returning to the village and becoming the sensei to his now teenage son. Never would the young man know that his sensei was his long lost father. Jiraiya had witnessed his marriage, his ceremony upon being given the title Yondaime of Konoha, and even held his newborn grandson, Naruto. Tsunade, unfortunately, was nowhere to be seen nor spotted since that fateful day at the hospital those many years ago.

She had missed too many milestones of their child's life, but Jiraiya knew it was all for good reason. He couldn't be faithful to her and her pain must have excruciating, absolutely horrid. She kept it locked away deep inside of her broken heart and Jiraiya knew that the only one who could release that pain was her. He wanted her to forgive him. Forgive him for his foolish mistakes. It took all of his willpower to keep from crying at night when he went to sleep. All he thought about was her.

He became even more womanizing as ever since she's left, but with every sensual siren and drunken, brunette lass, all he could think about was her. Jiraiya swore to Kami that if he ever saw her again, he would make it up to her. He'd throw away all of his pride, get on his knees and beg her for forgiveness. Whatever it took. The pain inside of him was too immense for words. He also had a broken heart, and the only reason why it continued to beat was because it was fueled by his hopes to see her again.

His love for her wouldn't allow him to let her slip through his fingers again. Like how he allowed their only child to slip so painfully from his grasp. His tightly fisted grasp.

_She gave me a son. A beautiful child, he became Hokage. Just as she had envisioned. Now I want to give her something...Something she truly deserves._

His heart.

* * *

**A/N:** I found my new forte- Jiraiya and Tsunade fiction. You swore I was actually there the moment Minato was given up for adoption. Well, you know what they say in the fiction world- it's fiction, dammit, calm down. I know there are many other versions of the story and some might even object to Tsunade and Jiraiya being Minato's parents. But you have to admit that it is plausible and there certainly is evidence to prove validation on the subject. Then again, everyone's entitled to their own opinions. And I want to hear yours! Yes, **your** opinion! Leave a review for a talented author! Ja ne!


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